Device for removing bottle-seals.



W. P. STONE. V DEVICE FOR REMOVING BOTTLE SEALS.

APPLIUATION FILED 001. 13, 1910.

Patented June 27, 1911;

IIIIIIIIII Unrrnn srarns PATENT OFFEQE.

WILLIAM F. STONE, OF WOODBUBY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB, TO STAR SEALCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEVI YORK.

DEVICE FOR REMOVING BOTTLE-SEALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 13, 1910.

Patented June 27, 1911.

Serial No. 586,890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM F. STONE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Vvoodbury, in the county of Gloucester and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices forRemoving Bottle-Seals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for removing bottleseals, or more particularly to devices known in the trade as bar tools,or tools by which bottle closures may be removed, other than by hand.

The opener is adapted for attachment to bars and other suitable supportsarranged in convenient places behind bars, and the construction of thedevice is such that the opening operation is, to a very great extent,auto- ,matic, it only being necessary to insert the bottle neck into thedevice and withdraw the same, in order to effect an infallible removalof the seal. The construction of the opener adapts it for use inremoving a seal patented to Charles Winter Number 904,825 dated Nov. 21, 1908, which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying thisapplication.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivedevice which may be readily attached to bars or supports convenientlylocated near the same and which will, by a simple and easy manualoperation, comprising simply an insertion of the capped bottle into thedevice and the with drawal of the same, remove the seal.

It will be understood that the device may be employed, upon a suitablesupport, for private use or wherever its use may be required ordesired;

Referring to the drawings illustrating the invention: Figure 1 is afront view of the opener, detached from the support; Fig. 2 is a rearview of the device, the support being likewise omitted; Fig. 3 is-asectional view of the opener taken about on line wx of Fig. 2, with thegrippers in normal position; Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a cappedbottle inserted in the opener with the parts in the position they assumeas the bottle is being withdrawn.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the body of theopener which may be made of cast metal or any suitable material. Thebody is preferably rectangular in shape as shown, and provided at eachcorner with two standards 2, between which are pivoted four grippers 3.Each gripper comprises in the main, an arm 4: having integral therewith,a wider gripping end 5, which is hollowed out as indicated at 6 toconform generally to the contour of the lip of the bottle and at thesame time, serves to accurately center the bottle when the same 18inserted into the opener. The broadened ends 5 of the grippers areturned down so that they present knife edges 7, which, as the bottle iswithdrawn, enter beneath the lip of the bottle and the tabs a of theclosure I).

The closure comprises a disk having an upturned flange divided intoindependently movable sections, each section being proyided with a taba, so that when the bottle 1s removed from the opener, the sections ofthe closure flange will be simultaneously crowded in and the seal brokenand the closure left in the grippers. Each pivoted gripper has behindits pivotal point, a spiral spring 8 which holds the gripper normallytoward the front of the body 1, the forward movement of the grippersbeing limited by contact between the body of the opener and the arms 4:of the gripper. These springs return all of the grippers instantly tonormal positlon after each unsealing operation.

Preferably at three points upon the body, I provide standards 9 havingtherein threaded sockets 10 for the reception of screws 11 by which thewhole device is attached to a metallicbracket l2,which bracket is soformed that it will present a surface 13, which forms a stop at the rearof the opener against which the mouth of the bottle contacts, therebylimiting the distance to which the bottle may be inserted in the openingoperation. This bracket is further formed with wings lt provided withperforations 15, by which the whole device may be rigidly attached to asuitable support. It will be understood from the drawing, that the sealis not disturbed in the operation of inserting the bottle, as thisoperation merely forces all of the grippers simultaneously back untilthe bottle contacts with the support behind the opener. This inwardmovement of the bottle will bring all of the grippers simultaneouslyinto contact with the lip of the bottle adjacent to the tabs of theclosure and upon withdrawing the bottle, the grippers will follow up andaround the bottle lip, inserting themselves under the tabs and bringingthe edges of the grippers in a position to crowd all of the tabssimultaneously in, breaking the seal and gripping the same in such a waythat the withdrawal of the bottle leaves the seal in the grasp of thegrippers. The succeeding operation of opening the next bottle, willdislodge the seal removed by the preceding operation, permitting it todrop out of the opener.

As shown, the broadened ends of the grippers when in normal position areof such width that their side edges or points, con tact, or nearly soand that the approximately circular space between the ends of thegrippers is of considerably smaller diameter normally than the mouth ofa bottle, so that all of the grippers have to be simultaneously forcedapart, to permit the insertion of the bottle. However, the action of theseveral springs has a tendency to constantly restore all of the grippersto the normal position, so that in the final movement.

of removing the bottle, all of the grippers are in normal position, witha seal gripped between their ends.

The construction described has demonstrated in practice, the completepracticability of the device which is infallible in its operation uponthe seal for which it is intended for use and further, the constructionis such that no breakage of the bottles or chipping of the lips occurs,since no considerable force at any time, is applied to the glass of thebottle, adjacent to the mouth.

The movement necessary to unseal the bottle is a straight in and outmovement and requires no prying or twisting of the bottle, all of whichmovements obviously, have a tendency to break the bottles.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A bottle opener comprising a suitable body, a plurality of yieldinggrippers -mounted upon the body and adapted to engage and hold a bottleseal upon the withdrawal of a bottle from the opener.

2. A bottle opener comprising a suitable body, a plurality of gripperspivoted thereclosure upon the withdrawal of the bottle from the tool.

4. A bottle opener comprising asuitable body, a plurality of gripperspivoted to the body, a spring for each gripper exerting a tendency tomaintain the grippers in their forward positions, suitable standardsupon the body of the opener and a bracket secured to said standards,providing a surface to limit the inward movement of the bottle ininserting the same in the opener, the grippers bemg adapted to grip andremove the seal upon the withdrawal of the bottle.

5. A bottle opener comprising a suitable body, a plurality of rockablegrippers mounted upon the body and adapted to engage and hold a bottleseal upon the with drawal of the bottle from the opener, and means forlimiting the forward movement of the bottle in inserting the same intothe opener, preparatory to the unsealing operation.

6. A bottle opener comprising a suitable body, a plurality of rockablegrippers mounted upon the body and adapted to engage and hold a bottleseal upon the withdrawal of the bottle from the opener, a bracketsecured to the body of the opener and serving as a means for limitingthe forward movement of the bottle, in the unsealing operation and alsoas a means for attaching the opener to a suitable support.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. STONE.

lVitnesses:

HOWARD L. HUToHINsoN, FRANCIS B. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

